Hang on for a minute...we're trying to find some more stories you might like.

Email This Story

Send email to this addressEnter Your NameAdd a comment hereVerification

Earlier today, a national student walkout took place at schools across the nation, including at UM-Flint. The movement, tilted #Enough, was a national event in hopes of bringing awareness to gun violence and gun control. The event specifically took place on the one month anniversary of the Parkland shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida. On the UM-Flint campus, two separate walkout events took place.

The first walkout took place at 10 a.m., as it did for students across the country. On campus, some students left class and took to the halls. Not only was the event encouraged by students, but by some faculty, as well.

“I wasn’t even going to do it until my professor reminded us it was today, and she offered to pause class for 17 minutes for us to walk out, which was nice,” said Jennifer Delong, a sophomore at the university.

Almost half of Delong’s class participated.

“Not everyone walked out, but I respect their opinions,” said Delong. “We just ended up walking in a circle from the sky walks because there wasn’t an event or anything that we knew of.”

A second event was organized by Jacob Elsewhere, also a UM-Flint student, and took place at 1 p.m.

“Students around the country at every level of education are planning some kind of action to say enough is enough,” said Elsewhere.

Elsewhere shared that he was at Central Michigan University a few days before the recent shooting, and was surprised about how relaxed the security was in the student housing.

“I was floored by how easy it was to get into the residence hall (at CMU). At our university (UM-Flint), guests have to show ID, be photographed, and each time you walk in and out of the residence hall you have to show that ID again. At CMU, I was never checked in,” said Elsewhere. “I could’ve walked in there with anything and hurt anyone. And that scares me. As residents of Flint, we aren’t strangers to gun violence. So, I think it’s something that students and the community can and should really get behind. I think it’s time we all said #Enough.”

In addition to students, the chancellor, vice chancellor, and dean of students joined the conversation and stood with the participants at the second walkout event.

Both walkouts lasted for 17 minutes to honor the 17 individuals who were killed at the Parkland shooting. A call to action took place, followed by a moment of silence.